Tajikistan Opens 'Liberty' Tunnel Partly Financed By China

DUSHANBE – Tajikistan has officially opened a tunnel on a road south of Dushanbe that was completed with financial help from China, RFE/RL’s Tajik Service reported.

President Emomali Rahmon, attending the August 30 opening ceremony, proposed calling the tunnel “Ozodi” (“Liberty”) as he said it would help connect the country with Pakistan, China, and on to other world markets.

Construction of the 2.2-kilometer tunnel took three years and was completed with the help of a $38 million grant from China.

China has also invested some $700 million on improvements for the Dushanbe-Chanak road connecting Tajkistan with neighboring Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, and $200 million in power line construction to help develop the country’s electricity transmission grid.